Dating?

[oldave]

No, not on wrong part of thinterweb.
How is 1997 defined? E.g. my 1998 Manoamano was indeed 1st purchased early in that year, but obviously built in 1997. I assume belongs in post-97, despite build year.
I have just bought a 1997 Kileaua frame, but with all accompanying parts the complete groupset etc from a 1999 Explosif.
In which Forum does the Kileaua belong?
I should probably know all this but have never really thought about it before!

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

It falls into both eras. I suppose go by frame date?

 

[mk one]

By definition your '98 bike belongs in the '98+ section, your '97 in the >'97. You could put anything on your '97 Kilauea, it would still be a '97 kilauea

 

[Once A Hero]

I’d say if it was in the manufacturers brochure for ‘97, then it’s in this section, any later then its in the 98+ section.

 

[oldave]

All makes sense - thanks. Pretty much what I concluded, although I hadn't thought in Catalogue terms. Obviously much of what in any given year catalogue would have a frame number from previous year.
So as I assemble the Kileaua it will belong in this place!

 

[al-onestare]

I’d say if it was in the manufacturers brochure for ‘97, then it’s in this section, any later then its in the 98+ section.

Yep, that's it right there.

 

[oldave]

Quite interesting looking at frame build dates re model year.
The 98 Manomano is H7N (bought in Jan 9, what I thought was a 95 Fire mountain is H6C (someone did comment that a 96 "special edition" based on colour) and the 97 Kileaua is as it should be H7L.
Do the last letters relate to dates or model or neither?

 

[kingoffootball]

Do the last letters relate to dates or model or neither?

Date. Hodaka used a letter code for the month the frame was made, I believe. That makes Ms and Ns a bit confusing though (I have GTs recorded with those letters too). Maybe they started skipping a couple of letters or maybe they stopped using date codes and they don't mean anything. I need more '93-'95 GT serial numbers to be sure.

 

[FluffyChicken]

The 1997/1998 cut off and fun is whatever the mods don't notice.

I go by model year.
If it's a 1998 model (even if bought in late 1997), then it goes in the 1998 section.